When we read the account of Jesus being baptised in the Jordan, it is tempting to move past it quickly. After all, the miracles, the parables, and the Cross feel weightier. Yet this moment at the river is a doorway into the whole gospel. It was no empty ritual. It was a declaration of fulfilment, of ending and beginning, of old covenant shadows passing and new covenant light dawning.
“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan [River], to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him, vigorously protesting, saying, ‘It is I who need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?’ But Jesus replied to him, ‘Permit it just now; for this is the fitting way for us to fulfil all righteousness.’ Then John permitted it [and baptized Him]. After Jesus was baptized, He came up immediately out of the water, and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased and delighted!’” (Matthew 3:13–17 AMP)
Here we find humility, obedience, and the beginning of something eternal. To grasp its weight, we must step into the scene and see what God was saying through this act.
John’s Humility and the Greater Baptism #
John hesitated. He knew Jesus was greater. He called himself only a voice in the wilderness, preparing the way.
“I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straight and smooth the way of the Lord [as the prophet Isaiah said].’” (John 1:23 AMP)
John’s baptism was water for repentance. It symbolised washing, a turning from sin. But he knew it was temporary. He pointed to the One who would baptise with the Spirit and fire.
“As for me, I baptize you with water because of your repentance [that is, because you are willing to change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret your sin and live a changed life]; but He, the Messiah who is coming after me, is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to remove; He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit and you [who remain unrepentant] with fire [judgment].” (Matthew 3:11 AMP)
This humility is not weakness. It is clarity. John knew his place in God’s plan. That same humility frees us from the burden of thinking we must fix ourselves or others. We cannot baptise anyone into new life. Only Christ can.
When you feel the weight of trying to fix your family, your ministry, or even your own flaws, remember John’s confession: “I am not the Messiah.” You are a voice, a witness, a pointer to Christ. And that is enough.
Christ’s Supremacy and Eternal Identity #
John also testified that Jesus existed before him. Though John was older by birth, he declared that Christ was eternal.
“This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I and has priority over me, for He existed before me.’” (John 1:15 AMP)
Here lies encouragement for weary hearts. When trials come, when the storm is fierce, we anchor in this truth: Christ is not a last-minute solution. He is the eternal One. Before the crisis arose, He was there. Before your weakness showed, He was Lord. Baptism announces that your life is joined to One who existed before time began.
Fulfilment of All Righteousness #
Jesus said, “It is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.” The Greek word “plēroō” means to complete, to fill, to bring to its intended goal. He was not ticking a box. He was completing the entire story of God’s righteousness under the Law.
“Do not think that I came to do away with or undo the Law of Moses or the [writings of] the Prophets; I did not come to do away with but to fulfil. For I assure you and most solemnly say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke [of the pen] will pass from the Law until all things [which it foreshadows] are accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17–18 AMP)
The Law was always a shadow. It could expose sin but not cure it.
“For since the Law has only a shadow [just a pale representation] of the good things to come—not the very image of those things, it can never, by offering the same sacrifices continually year after year, make perfect those who approach [the altar].” (Hebrews 10:1 AMP)
When Christ was baptised, He was saying: I am the fulfilment. The shadows end here. The reality has arrived.
This is why you need not live crushed under guilt or driven by endless self-effort. The righteousness the Law demanded has been fulfilled in Christ. You are clothed in Him.
Baptism as Death and New Life #
Baptism is a picture of death and resurrection. Jesus’ baptism pointed forward to His Cross. His “objective death” was once for all. Our “subjective death” is our sharing in it daily.
“I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Galatians 2:20 AMP)
This truth reshapes how we handle adversity. Stress, fear, and trials lose their grip when we see ourselves already dead in Christ. The pressures of life cannot destroy what has already been crucified. And the same Spirit who raised Him from the dead now gives us life.
When anxiety rises, whisper to your soul: I am buried with Him, raised with Him, alive in Him.
The Jordan and the Promise of Rest #
Why the Jordan? This river was Israel’s crossing point into the Promised Land. By entering its waters, Jesus was declaring Himself as the true entry point into God’s promises.
For us, the Jordan speaks of transition: out of wandering, into rest; out of striving, into grace. You may feel stuck in the wilderness, circling the same struggles. But baptism reminds you that Christ has opened the way. Rest is no longer a land to be conquered. It is a life to be received in Him.
This has practical meaning for stress-filled lives. You do not enter rest by controlling circumstances or fixing every detail. You enter rest by trusting the One who stepped into Jordan for you.
Heaven Opened and the Spirit Given #
At Jesus’ baptism, heaven opened, the Spirit descended, and the Father spoke. This was the inauguration of a new covenant reality. No longer closed heavens, but open. No longer absence, but presence.
“And He did this, once for all, when He offered up Himself [as a willing sacrifice].” (Hebrews 7:27 AMP)
When you face loneliness or despair, remember this scene. Heaven is open. The Spirit has been poured out. The Father delights in His Son, and because you are in Christ, His delight rests on you, too.
How does this help in trials? It means you are not abandoned. You are indwelt. The Spirit who descended on Jesus has made His home in you. That truth steadies trembling hearts when grief, sickness, or uncertainty presses in.
The End of the Old, the Beginning of the New #
The baptism of Jesus marked the closing of one order and the rising of another. John represented the old covenant, calling Israel to repentance under the Law. Jesus stepped into those waters to bring the Law to its completion and to establish the new.
“He then said, ‘Behold, I have come to do Your will.’ And so He does away with the first [covenant] as a means of atoning for sin based on animal sacrifices so that He may inaugurate and establish the second [covenant].” (Hebrews 10:9 AMP)
For you, this means you no longer live under the weight of performance. The old order is gone. A new covenant of grace has begun. In Christ, you are not trying to qualify. You are already accepted.
That changes how you respond to pressure. Instead of striving to meet demands, you rest in the finished work of Christ.
What This Means for Us #
The baptism of Jesus is not just theology. It is a daily hope.
- When life feels chaotic, we remember the heavens are open.
- When we feel weak, we recall that the Spirit rests upon us.
- When we fear judgment, we stand in His fulfilled righteousness.
- When stress weighs us down, we step into the Jordan again, trusting the One who brings us into rest.
This means your worth is not tied to performance. Your peace is not held hostage by circumstances. Your future is not uncertain. Christ has already fulfilled all righteousness.
Conclusion #
The baptism of Jesus was the hinge of history. It was not a sinner’s ritual. It was the fulfilment of the Law, the foreshadowing of the Cross, the doorway into the new covenant, and the promise of Spirit-filled life. It tells us we are not bound to Adam but joined to Christ.
And it whispers hope for every day: When life feels like wilderness, He is the Jordan crossing. When storms rage, He is the open heaven. When guilt shouts, He is the fulfilment of righteousness. And when we feel weak, He is the Spirit within, the beloved Son who makes us beloved too.
In Christ,
Godwin.
